13th December 2021

The City of Liverpool College Partners with Northwest Education and Training to Tackle the Driver Shortage

The City of Liverpool College Partners with Northwest Education and Training to Tackle the Driver Shortage

The City of Liverpool College is set to deliver free Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving in partnership with Northwest Education and Training Ltd (NWEAT), as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee. The bootcamps have been designed to help bridge the HGV driver skills gap, with each trainee offered a guaranteed interview with an employer on completion of the course.

Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving have been produced by the Department for Education to support with the training and licencing of HGV drivers, in a quick response to the national shortage in the road haulage industry. According to reports, there is now an estimated shortage of more than 30,000 qualified HGV drivers in the UK, seeing salaries increase to attract new drivers, with typical wages now between £35,000 and £50,000.

The Skills Bootcamps are part of The City of Liverpool College’s work towards addressing the needs of employers and the wider economy, delivering targeted interventions to meet demands to fill vacancies and drive productivity.

Working in partnership with Northwest Education and Training Ltd, the College will provide high quality training to give people the knowledge and skills to pass industry tests. Through the course, which will run for up to 16 weeks, participants will also acquire the appropriate licences to work as an HGV driver, or for qualified HGV drivers to acquire specialist HGV qualifications.

Elaine Bowker, Principal and Chief Executive at The City of Liverpool College, said:

“It’s great to be able to deliver this training in a sector that needs support, especially with the shortages this vital sector is currently facing. It is incredibly important to us that we play our role in getting people the skills they need to be ready for the world of work, so it’s fantastic that we’re able to provide this opportunity.

“These Bootcamps will support our economy to address the skills gap, raising aspirations and supporting social mobility, as well as helping to reduce the impact of this shortage on the wider economy.”

Cheryl Denny, Owner of NWEAT, added:

“Northwest Education and Training is proud to partner with The City of Liverpool College on the HGV Bootcamps North West. NWEAT has been the strategic lead on many successful projects, moving people and goods both regionally and nationally, and we are looking forward to forming new partnerships and training drivers to achieve a successful professional driving career.”

The Bootcamps are available for individuals who have no, or limited, prior experience. Training will include CPC training and verification, theory, hazard perception and case studies, practical training and a guaranteed interview on completion of the course.

To find out more about the The City of Liverpool College HGV driver bootcamp, click here.